1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a portion-controlled dispensing straw assembly used to dispense substances in exact amounts into a container or directly into the mouth of a user.
2. Description of the Related Art
Prior art dispensing devices are wasteful, unsanitary, inexact and limited in the portions they can control. For example, sweeteners can be dispensed from packets, but if the use of more sweetener than the packet holds is desired, additional packets must be used, creating additional waste and requiring additional time. Liquid medicines are poured from a bottle into a measuring spoon, but the amount is never exact. Alcoholic beverages and mixers are poured into a glass in inexact fashion and then a straw or the like is needed to mix the drink. The same is true for creamers. Most of those uses require the use of the hands in proximity to the fluid, which makes them unsanitary as well.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,025,200 B2 discloses two coaxial containers holding different products. Downward pressure on a portion 14 causes a profile 11 to pierce a diaphragm 6, as is seen by a comparison of FIGS. 1 and 2.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,782,345 similarly discloses two containers. When a cap 23 is screwed onto a thread 14, an edge 17 presses on and tears a bottom 28 while a point 18 keeps the bottom 28 from tearing loose.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,521,745 discloses a mixing package 10 having a container 12 and an adapter 14, both holding products. When a cap 18 is pushed down, membranes 20, 22 are broken to mix the contents of the two containers.
International Publication No. PCT WO92/00898 discloses two telescoping tubes 1, 5 which are pushed together so that a beveled edge 7 of a tube 5 pierces a closing disk 4 of a tube 1. As is seen in FIG. 2, this causes the closing disk 4 to be pushed 4 off to the side.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,815,981 discloses a straw in which a mouthpiece 16 is pinched and held and an inner tube 12 is reciprocated in an outer member 10 to mix sugar in iced tea. The device is used for mixing only, not for dispensing.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,981,468 discloses a sleeve 26 telescoping in a tube 12. A grid 18 in the sleeve 26 holds a therapeutic agent 20 so that liquid sipped through the device passes through the agent 20 in the sleeve. The agent remains in place and is mixed within the straw, not in any container or glass outside the straw.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,867,536 discloses a straw having a bore tube 2 in an outer tube 1. The tubes are sealed together by limbs 4 in FIG. 1 or by pinching at 5 in FIG. 2. A plug 6 and a cap 3 in FIG. 1 or two caps 3 in FIG. 2 are removed to use the straw and let a flavoring agent in the form of solids or powder 9 mix in a glass. No mixing can take place until a plug and a cap or caps at both ends of the straw, are removed.
Thus, the prior art falls into two categories. In one category, devices are provided which mix two substances together, but cannot be used as straws. Although coaxial tubes piercing a seal are known, they are not and cannot then be used as straws. U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,025,200 B2, 5,782,345 and 3,521,745, as well as International Publication No. PCT WO92/00898, fall into that category.
The other category contains devices which are used as straws. In that category, U.S. Pat. No. 2,815,981 is merely used for stirring and does not contain any substance to be mixed. U.S. Pat. No. 4,981,468 maintains the substance within the straw and therefore only allows it to be mixed to a limited extent and only with what ever amount of liquid is consumed. U.S. Pat. No. 2,867,536 requires a plug or cap to be removed from both ends. The cap at the bottom must be removed before placing the lower end of the straw in the liquid with which the substance is to be mixed. The bottom cap may be removed when the bottom is directed upward or downward. Such a system is difficult to use because the substance can spill in any direction when removing the bottom cap with the bottom directed downward. Similarly, the substance can spill in any direction when placing the open bottom in a container after the cap is removed with the bottom directed upward. The device is also potentially unsanitary because a user may touch a portion of the straw to be immersed when removing the cap.